ItsJustMe

I wore a cape once. It nearly killed me by acting as a sail and trying to throw me in front of traffic numerous times. About halfway through the ride I took it off and just got wet.

Maybe it's just because I've got a lot of crosswind, combined with 60 MPH traffic and no shoulders, so traffic is going by me about 2 feet away. I have little margin for error. Even my normal rain jacket requires heavy concentration to hold a line in the wind.

BobbyG

Okay here it is with the nylon ribbon for straps. this is as far as it goes. If I like it and feel the need for a rain cape I will buy one. I can now see the advantage of a conical shape when it comes to avoiding billowing.

RubeRad

That's clever, I'm going to do that too. Reminds me of a thing I saw once for ladies to be able to ride a bike in a long, loose skirt: you just wrap the hem around a penny in a couple places, secure it with a rubber band.

This method is simple enough even to just do on the fly.

fietsbob

FWIW, because the Material used in the RBW -Grundens Cycle cape is heavier it is less subject to wind flapping.

At my typically Modest rate of Speed.. When the winter storms blow in, I add rain pants..

noglider 

The more you ride in the rain, the more tolerable it becomes. You end up coming up with a bunch of tricks, each tailored to the situation.

When heading out into the rain or into a chance of rain, you have to estimate how heavy it will be and how long you'll be in it. Consider the temperature. If it's not too cold, you want to wear as little as possible. Clothing made of wool or synthetic can help, as those materials tend not to lose their warming properties as much as cotton does. Wet cotton makes you cold. If you are warm (from exercise) and are wearing wool and the wool gets wet, there is a chance you'll stay warm. But that depends on how wet, how fast you're going, how strong the wind is, etc.

Sometimes it's better not to ride, especially if you have an alternative. If it's raining very hard and it's a 30 minute ride, you'll get soaked. If you're meeting friends for dinner, it will make dinner less enjoyable. But that's an extreme example.

Sometimes the forecast tells me there's a chance of showers and I head out and I get lucky. It's hard to know when the showers come and how long they'll last. I've been rewarded for taking chances occasionally.

I happen to have a warm body type. I can tolerate wearing cold, wet clothes more than some other people can. Everyone's tolerance is different. It may take some experimentation to determine how tolerant you are, and you can push your tolerance to a degree, if you're interested. Sometimes riding in the rain is unpleasant, but it reminds me of that bumper sticker that says a bad day fishing is better than a good day at work. Sometimes a bad ride on the bike is better than a good drive in a car.

KD5NRH

If my fly needs to be jury rigged during a ride, I just buy new shorts.

RubeRad

ha ha

tdonline

Appreciate all that but it's not really about tolerating cold and being soaked, but simply I don't want to show up for dinner at a restaurant with dripping hair and clothes and creating a puddle around me as I'm having a meal with friends. I don't ride now if it's raining but would like to consider rain gear options as I do not have a car and use my bike for transportation. Now, if it's raining, I walk/public transportation/taxi it. Just would like to add the bike option in there.

noglider 

Well, rain gear doesn't keep you dry absolutely. It mitigates the rain, so how dry you stay is a function of how hard it's raining and how long you're out in it. If you must stay dry, stay off the bike.

DTG

+1

I picked up a Cleverhood a few years ago at the Seattle bike show and it was a good purchase. I typically use it for short trips though. I tried using it for commuting a couple of times in the rain and it did fine. The thumb loops are the saving grace on the inside to keep the cap down. The only think I don't like is if it's raining hard, the water builds into a mini lake so you have to shake it off every so often. My commute is 6 miles each way.

BobbyG

For years my rule has been if most cars have their wipers on high get off the road and wait it out until the rain lets up a bit. I figure that side and rear views will be compromised enough that drivers may not be able to see me or if thay can, judge my position, especially out the side and rear windeows of their cars.

Reynolds 

I use a home made cape similar to this, but a bit longer:



In my experience it keeps me dry (not my feet in really strong wind and rain) and I don't have problems with the wind. It's made of a fairly heavy material, maybe that's the cause.

Archwhorides 

This is a cool thread and I'm interested by the cape concept, although the notion of partial protection from the elements is unappealing to me, as is "waiting out" the harsher weather. I could see combining the cape with waterproof/breathable zippered pants (like Shower's Pass) and water-resistant shoe wraps.

I would like to see so-called hi-vis material and 3M style reflective tape integrated into the cape designs - the Cleverhood is oh-so-hip (and objectively attractive), but I'd like to see an industrial-strength version for my urban everyday commuting.

Bike Gremlin

With a good cape (one that is attached to hands to cover all the way to the handlebars), all you need are quality hiking boots. Perhaps not even them with really good mudguards. The trousers will stay dry. Even in the worst down poor.

I prefer fast drying to 100% waterproof clothes for cycling - though I do sweat a lot.

Archwhorides 

There are two factors in my commutes that make me want to wear waterproof pants and shoes, even though I ride with full mudguards:

- A lot of my wettest commuting days are in 30s to 40s F weather in March-May, which become quite hypothermic with wet skin. I can't afford to ride for an hour like that.
- My urban streets are heavily trafficked, with poor drainage in places - moisture is coming from all around!

So I'm not ready to give up my waterproof bottom, but an industrial commuting cape is still very appealing.
-

Bandera

I've used Carradice for decades, traditional high quality kit.
Check out the spats instead of rain-pants for well proven Brit-style.

Bicycle Rainwear | Carradice of Nelson

-Bandera

Bike Gremlin

Just giving one perspective: I'm rarely cold when my trousers are wet, as long as the jacket and boots do their job. Though my commute was about 40 minutes one way. Anything over 20 minutes ends up just as wet for me - whether from rain, or from sweat - so given that choice I prefer rain. Though I'm rarely cold ever, so take my experience with a grain of salt, but do make a test before buying - on a day off, staying within 15 minutes away from home radius, so you can get warm quickly in case my recipe doesn't work for you.

ItsJustMe

I still get wet feet. Even with a really good mudguard. Enough water splashes up and to the side of the front wheel, then my shoes run into the splash. I'd have to have a 2 foot wide mudguard to knock it all down before it hit my shoes and the bottom of my legs.

KD5NRH

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01D151X6A/

They will wear out after a few months of use, and the water resistance is a bit odd; the outsides will get soaked, but I guess there's an inner waterproof layer because my feet still stay dry. Worth it to replace them a couple times in a really rainy year or once in a normal one at $15.

Archwhorides 

The spats are cool..... there are a few New England Carradice dealers, but there is a very good on-line dealer in Phoenix called the British Bicycle Company and just I ordered the Pro-Route cape and spats from for my summer rainy-day riding. Thanks for the tip @Bandera!

Harhir

I am also looking for a cape/poncho. I am riding very upright, it is mainly flat here and normally not very windy. And especially with the high humidity we are having here in the south I prefer cape vs a jacket. I won't need it often but when it rains here in Texas it pours. Several inches in a short time are not rare.
I won't need it much in cold weather but mainly around spring and early summer where we get most of our downpours and where the temperatures can already be in the 80 and 90s. E.g. today: Heavy downpour in the morning. Temps now close to 90s with 65% humidity.
I have read good reviews about the Carradice Duxback but I am not sure if the cotton would be too warm for our climate. How about Cleverhood in warmer climates?
Any recommendations for a light cape/poncho for a tall guy (6'4")?

Thanks for any advice

Whynot1999

J&G's cape is out of stock (I think...the wording was confusing) and so is the large version of grunde's rain cape...I'm getting a little frustrated with manufactorers advertising things that aren't available. Can anyone say how the Carradice products compare to the Grundel cape? I really wanted the grundel cape.

thumpism 

Here's a Burley cape from the '80s that I just found in my bunch of stuff. I really could have used it during my TransAm attempt in '16 when it rained every goddam day for the month we were out. No hood, but with my helmet cover it would do nicely. This one has straps and pockets to fit over the brake levers. I'm letting it air out and de-wrinkle after a decade or so hidden in its stuff sack. Last used in Seattle.

Burley.JPG

I've also toured and commuted and relied on a poncho and fenders. Face it, you will get wet but the goal is to minimize the soak while maintaining some degree of comfort and control of the bike. A poncho tends to blow when you least need it. I considered cutting down the rectangular Stearns poncho from Walmart that I wore last tour but will use the cape from now on if it works as well as I remember.

52telecaster

just asked my gf to modify my ikea poncho in the fashion you described. its great in the rain except for holding on to it.

Bandera

While your "tailor" is working ask to add a simple waist-strap as well, might as well do it the traditional way.

-Bandera